Bicam to tackle other agencies’ budgets amid DPWH deadlock

LAWMAKERS will tackle the budgets of other agencies as the bicameral conference committee (bicam) remained deadlocked over funding for the Public Works department, a senator said on Tuesday.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the Senate Finance committee, said the bicameral panel will tackle “other agencies” as he awaits analysis on the proposed funding restoration for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“We will skip the DPWH first,” he told reporters in Filipino. When asked if the panel is still in deadlock, he said “for now.”

The impasse stems from the P45-billion cut to the DPWH budget, with senators firm on keeping the billions of pesos it cut from the DPWH’s budget for next year, while congressmen warned that failing to restore funding could lead to economic losses.

The rift between the two chambers of Congress comes as the Dec. 22 deadline nears to reconcile differing versions of next year’s spending plan, a step required before ratification and transmittal to Malacañang for President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s approval.

Despite the delay, Mr. Gatchalian dismissed concerns about a reenacted budget, saying “there’s still time.”

“We just have to hasten discussions,” he said.

Malacañang on Tuesday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. remains firmly opposed to a reenacted 2026 national budget.

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the administration, along with Congress, is working within the remaining time to ensure the budget is passed, underscoring concerns that a reenacted budget would stall government projects.

Mr. Marcos aims to sign the spending bill by yearend.

The Department of Finance has also warned that delays in approving a new budget could slow public spending and disrupt key programs, Ms. Castro noted.

“Everyone knows — all of us, including Congress — that the President does not want a reenacted budget,” she told a Palace briefing in Filipino. “So, with the time remaining, we know that everything possible must be done to ensure the budget does not end up being reenacted. The President is opposed to that.”

She said there is no information at this time on whether Mr. Marcos has directly reached out to House and Senate leaders to urge closer coordination.

The Budget department defines a reenacted budget as “a situation where the previous year’s GAA (General Appropriations Act) is extended and remains in effect for a preceding year until such time Congress passes a budget bill into law.”

‘INSUFFICIENT’ DATA
The DPWH on Tuesday acknowledged it had given lawmakers “insufficient” pricing data on its construction materials database, which senators used as a basis to cut the agency’s budget by P45-billion due to overpricing concerns.

“To address this, the DPWH has submitted additional, project-category-based data that incorporates key variables such as hauling distances and localized market behaviors, resulting in a more realistic basis for funding,” it said in a letter to Senator Gatchalian.

Mr. Gatchalian said the Senate is reviewing the updated data provided by the DPWH. “Let’s look at the data… because they said the costing list did not include logistics costs.”

Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon on Sunday urged lawmakers to restore the funding cut, warning that slowing state spending could further weigh on economic growth.

The Philippines’ economy expanded 4% in the third quarter, easing amid a multibillion-peso kickback scandal that has dampened what was once one of Asia’s fastest‑growing economies. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Chloe Mari A. Hufana